Clip fastener



United States Patent CLIP FASTENER Donald F. Christy, Hinsdale, Ill.

Application June 1, 1956, Serial No. 588,748

4 Claims. (Cl. 24-66) The present invention relates to a clip fastener and more particularly to improvements in spring pressed holders or binders for releasably securing a stack of loose papers, or the like, upon a board, or other base.

A primary object of the invention is to provide a de vice of the character indicated which will effectively bind together an uneven stack of papers with a firm pressure throughout the binding area.

Further objects of this invention are to provide a rugged yet inexpensive clamp plate mounting means for a clip fastener; to secure a clip plate mounting means that is depressable at various points along its lateral extent to secure different paper releasing actions for the clamp, as desired; and to provide a relatively simple and easily assembled device having the features andy advantages hereinabove set forth.

To the accomplishment of the above and other objects, my invention may be embodied in the form shown in the accompanying drawing and described in the following specification; it being understood that changes made therein that come within the terms of the appended claims are within the scope of my said invention.

Referring to the drawings:

Fig. 1 is a ragmental top plan View of my clip fastener.

Fig. 2 is a front elevational view of the clip fastener shown in Fig. 1.

Fig. 3 is a back elevational view of the clip fastener shown in Fig. l.

Fig. 4 is an enlarged section taken on line 4-4 of Fig. 2.

The reference numeral 1l) indicates an oblong board or ilat base member preferably made of pressed and bonded fibrous material adapted to support a stack of loose paper sheets, or the like, which are releasably secured thereto by a spring biased clip fastener, generally indicated by the numeral 11. A post 12 is positioned centrally upon one end portion 13 of the board 10 in a position normal to the plane of the board by the simple expedient of inserting the externally threaded lower end 14 of the post through a hole 15 formed in the board and drawing up nuts 16-16 on the post on opposite sides of the board, the lower nut being countersunk in the board (Fig. 4). The upper terminal end of the post is provided with an enlarged head 17 that has at least a rounded undersurface 18.

The clip fastener 11 comprises a clamp plate 19 in the form of a metal stamping that includes an intermediate, laterally extending fiat portion 20 normally in substantial parallelism with the plane of board when the fastener is not in use (Fig. 4), and an inclined downturned portion 21 laterally coextensive with the intermediate portion 20 and joined to said intermediate portion by a smooth curve 22. A laterally foreshortened depressable portion 23 is joined to the central part of the intermediate portion 20 by a curve 24, said portion 23 preferably being inclined upwardly and outwardly from `the intermediate portion 22. and terminat- Patented Sept. 15, 1959 iCC ing in a normally l'orizontal thumb or Enger engaging depressable end portion 25.

The clamp plate 19 is pivotally held on the board for universal tilting action about the post 12 by forming an elliptical slot 260 through the central part of the intermediate portion 20 of the plate, said slot being positioned closely adjacent the curve 2 of the plate. The slot loosely receives the upper portion of the post 12 so that the plate may tilt thereon whilst the head 17, being larger than the slot opening, prevents displacement of the plate from the post; the rounded underside 18 in contact with the plate insuring smooth universal tilting action for the plate on the post.

A U-shaped member 26 is mounted upon the end portion 13 of the board directly beneath the intermediate portion Ztl of the clamp plate 19, the at central part 27 of the member being secured by rivets 28--28 to the board in a position parallel to and next adjacent the lateral edge of the end portion 13 of said board. Legs 29 and 3G, normal to the plane of the board, extend upwardly from opposite sides of the central part 27 of the member 26 and have their terminal end portions projecting through slots 31 and 32, respectively, that are formed through the intermediate portion 20 of the clamp plate in laterally aligned positions to the side of and outwardly from the clamp plates tilting connection with the post 12.

The means interposed between the board 16 and the clamp plate 19 for biasing the outer part of the plate away from the end portion 13 of said board is shown in the drawing as expansile coil springs 33 and 34 each encircling a leg 29 and Sil, respectively, of member 26. Each spring bears at its upper end against the underside of the intermediate portion 20 of the clamp plate 19 and bears at its lower end against the board 10.

In the operation of the device it will be understood that the action of the expansile springs continuously urges the outer part of the clamp plate away from the board and against the head 17 of the inwardly removed centrally positioned post which action causes the clamping edge of the downturned portion 21 to be resiliently and continually urged toward the board to provide an effective clamp for a stack of papers, or the like, positioned upon the board. Because of the universal connection between the post and clamp plate the downturned portion 21 may be tilted laterally upon an uneven stack of papers without affecting the firm action of the clamping edge along its entire lateral extent. Release of the clip fastener can be effected by pressing downwardly on any part of the depressable portion 23 of the plate along its lateral extent, the part selected determining the release angle of the clamping plate. For example, by pressing down on the center of the depressable portion 23, the portion 21 will be raised with its clamping edge in substantial parallelism with the board, but if either side of the depressable portion 23 is pressed downwardly, for example, by applying a force in the direction of the arrow 35 in Fig. 2, the opposed side portion of the clamping edge of portion 21 will be raised and released from clamping action with the paper stack whilst that portion of the clamping edge on that side of the plate where the pressure is applied will remain in firm contact with the stack, the clamp plate then assuming the position illustrated by dot-and-dash lines 36 in said Fig. 2. Thus a clip fastener is provided that is more versatile in usage than conventional fasteners of the same type.

What is claimed is:

1. In a clip fastener, planar oblong board, a post mounted upon one end portion of the board normal to the plane of the board, an enlarged head formed on the terminal end of the post, a clamp plate cooperable with the board including an intermediate at portion normally in substantial` parallelism with the plane of rthe board, a downturned portion connected to the inner end of the intermediate portion and an outwardly extending depressable portionconnected to the opposed end of the intermediate portion, the central part of the invterrnediate portion of the clamp plate having an vaperture formed therethrough for receiving the post, a U-shaped member having a liat central part riveted to the board -parallel to and adjacent the lateral edge of said end portion of the board, legs extending upwardly one from each opposed side of the central part of the U-shaped member, said legs being positioned normal to the plane of the board and each having a terminal end portion projecting through a slot formed through the intermediate portion of the clamp plate, and expansile coil springs vone each encircling each of the legs, and each spring having one end bearing against the plate and its opposed fend bearing against the end portion of the board.

2. In a clip fastener, planar oblong board, a post mounted upon one end portion of the board normal to the plane of the board, an enlarged head formed on the terminal end of the post, a clamp plate cooperable with Vthe board including an intermediate at portion normally in substantial parallelism with the plane of the board, a downturned portion connected to the inner end of the intermediate portion and an outwardly extending depressable portion connected kto the opposed end of the intermediate portion, the central part of the intermediate portion of the clamp plate having an aperture formed therethrough for receiving the post, a U-shaped member having a at central part riveted to the board parallel to and adjacent the lateral edge of said end portion of the board, legs extending upwardly one from each op- 'posed side of the central part of the U-shaped member, said legs being positioned normal to the plane of vthe board and each having a terminal end portion projecting through a slot formed through the intermediate portion of the clamp plate, and means interposed between the board and the plate for biasing the outer part of the 4 plate away from the board whereby the inner portion thereof is continuously urged toward the board.

3. In a clip fastener, a substantially plane oblong board, a headed post disposed centrally on one end portion of the board and positioned thereon normal to the plane of said board, a clamp plate having an aperture formed through the central portion thereof for freely receiving the upper portion of the post, a pair of laterally spaced apart guide legs mounted on the board and located outwardly from and parallel with the post, said plate having a slot formed therein for freely receiving the terminal end portion of each leg, and expansile springs, there being one each associated with each leg and each spring bearing at its upper end against the plate and at its opposed end against the board.

4. In a clip fastener, an oblong board, a post positioned centrally on one end portion of the board, a clamp plate having a centrally located opening formed therethrough for freely receiving the post, an enlarged head on the terminal end of the post for engaging the portion of the upper surface of the plate around the opening to provide universal tilting action for the plate on the post, and a pair of resilient plate guide means positioned outside and on opposite sides of the post and between the plate and the end portion of the board and adapted to bias the outside part of the plate beyond the post away from the board and to resiliently urge the opposed inner plate part toward the board.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 59,545 Barden Nov. 13, 1866 147,561 Judd Feb. 17, 1874 509,900 Heysinger Dec. 5, 1893 613,081 Scott Oct. 25, 1898 881,970 Spiro Mar. 17, 1908 958,801 Gibbs May 24, 1910 1,339,359 Kritikson May 4, 1920 2,589,889 Stegeman Mar. 18, 1952 

